Can-opening device



(No Model.)

0. S. FELLOWS.

CAN 023mm DEVIGB.

No. 555,941. Patented Mar. 10, 1896 an? j 0/ Hr. llllll ATENT OFFICE. I

OLIN S. FELLOWS, OF MIDDLETOVVN, NEIV YORK.

CAN-OPENING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,941, dated March 10, 1896.

Application filed March 21, 1895. Serial No. 542,618. (No model) To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, OLIN S. FELLOWS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Middletown, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-0pening Devices, of which the following is a specification sufficient to enable others skilled in the art to which the invention appertains to make and use the same.

My improvements relate to strip-winding devices, known as keys, for opening sheetmetal cans in which the portion of the can stripped off is wound around the shank of the implement. Heretofore these strip-winding keys have been formed with slots in their shanks for the reception of the tongue or end of the strip to be wound off, and have hence been detached or detachable parts liable to become misplaced or lost, so as not to be available for use when needed for the opening of the can.

My present invention consists primarily in a strip-windin g key havin g a strippingtongue forming an integral part thereof, the stripping-tongue being designed for attachment to the portion of the can that is to be stripped off. I am aware that stripping-tongues have heretofore been formed separately and subsequently inserted under or attached to the portion of the can to be stripped off, but in such cases the tongues have been designed simply for engagement with a slot in the stripwinding key, whereas the essential feature of my present invention consists in making the key and stripping-tongue integral for permanent attachment to the portion to be stripped from the can.

My combined key and stripping-tongue may be applied to a stripping-section consisting of either an inside or an outside flange, or of a portion of the can-body, or the tongue itself may be made of sufficient length to circumscribe the can and unite by solder two opposed edges of the can, as those of the cap and canbody. In either case the novelty consists in making the stripping tongue and key integral, to be afterward attached to the can.

A secondary feature of my invention consists in making the stripping-tongue in one piece with the special form of sheet-metal key described in my Patent No. 543,004, dated July 23, 1895, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of a portion of a can from which it is designed to stripthe inside flange of the cap. Fig. 2 is a section upon plane of line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section upon plane of line 3 3, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a similar view illustrating the stripping operation. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detail views of the combined key and stripping-tongue shown in the first three figures. Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation of the end of a can from which it is designed to strip the edge of the body from an end cap having an inner flange; Fig. 9, a sec tion upon line 9 9, Fig. 8; and Fig. 10, a section upon line 10 10, Fig 8; Fig. 1.1, a sectional elevation showin g my combined key and stripping-tongue as applied to the stripping off of an exterior flange of an end plate; Fig. 12, an elevation of the same; Figs. 13 and 14:, details of the key and strippingtongue shown in Figs. 11 and 12; Fig. 15, a view illustrating the use of my combined key and strippingtongue where the tongue is used to join the cap and can-body together.

The key A may be made integral with the stripping-tongue a in any suitable or convenient manner, the parts being made separately and then attached firmly to each other if desired. I prefer, however, to make both key and stripping-tongue out of one piece of metal, and in illustration of this I herein show my improvements as embodied in and with the form of sheet-metal strip-winding key set forth in my prior application hereinbefore referred to, although I do not confine myself to the identical form and structure of parts shown, since it is obvious that modifications may be made from the spirit and intent of my invention.

As shown in the drawings, the tongue at is struck up out of the same piece of sheet metal from which the key-blank is formed in such manner that when the blank is folded upon itself to form the key A said stripping-tongue will project laterally from the shank a of the key. The lateral extension of the tongue a is sufficient to afford a suitable contact-surface for soldering or otherwise fastening it to the position, 19, of the can which is to be stripped off. Its edge M, which is to start the stripping operation, is preferably curved or inclined so as to extend diagonally across the strip 19, which maybe weakened on this line if necessary to facilitate the operation.

The tongue a is inserted between the flange f of the end-cap O and the edge e of the canbody B prior to the soldering of the said cap and can-body together, so that the tongue be comes to all intents and purposes a part of the can.

Where an outer flange f of the end cap 0 is to be stripped off, as in Figs. 11 and 12, the tongue is bent over, substantially as shown, so as to bring the handle a of the key into position beyond the edge of the can.

By reference to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be understood that the lower end a of the shank a is immediately available as a fulcrum or spindle upon starting to wind off the strip p, aiding and reinforcing the tongue a and preventing undue strain upon the latter.

Where it is designed to use the tongue a as a medium for soldering two parts of the can together, as in Fig. 15, to be afterward separated by the stripping off of the same, the tongue a is simply made long enough to extend around the can, overlapping the superposed edges of the cap and can-body, as indicated by the line 1 in said figure.

The usual annular incision 4; or other circumscribing line of weakness may be formed upon the can to facilitate the stripping off of the portion 19 to be removed in opening the can.

WVhat ,I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As an article of manufacture a stripwinding key consisting of a handled shank which is formed with a lateral tongue or extension for connection with the stripping portion of a sheet-metal can, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

2. As an article of manufacture a stripwinding key consisting of a handled shank which is formed with a lateral tongue or extension for connection with the stripping portion of a sheet-metal can, said key-handle, shank and lateral extension being formed in one piece substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

As an article of manufacture a stripwinding key consisting of a blank of sheet metal doubled upon itself to form a handled shank with a lateral tongue or extension for connection with the stripping portion of the can substantially in the manner described.

4. As an article of manufacture a stripwinding key consisting of a blank of sheet metal embossed and doubled to form a hollow cylindrical shank one-half of which has a lateral tongue or extension for connection to the stripping portion of the can, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

OLIN S. FELLOWVS.

Witnesses:

GEORGE WILLIAM MIATT, D. W. GARDNER. 

